


It's Out Again

by dancer4813



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blackouts, Budding Love, F/M, Perc'ahlia Festival of Happiness, Tal'dorei Campaign, Thunderstorms, Trinket as a dog
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-04
Updated: 2016-10-04
Packaged: 2018-08-19 11:20:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8204131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancer4813/pseuds/dancer4813
Summary: The power in the apartment building goes out during a particularly bad thunderstorm, and Vex needs to visit her neighbor to get some matches.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cinderfell](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinderfell/gifts).



> Here’s my fic for the Perc’ahlia Festival of Happiness exchange, written for @cassiederolo on tumblr, a little late, mostly because it just ended up ridiculously (and wonderfully) long. But better late than never, yeah? 
> 
> The prompt was: “All the power in our apartment building went out so I went over to your place to see if you had a spare flashlight or lighter. (Lowkey inspired by [Light My Candle](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlXuznxlcm8) from my recent rewatch of RENT ha.)”
> 
> Thus, a couple “Light My Candle” references scattered throughout, some thunderstorms, Perc’ahlia (of course), and Trinket as a [big fluffy dog](https://www.google.com/search?q=caucasian+shepherd&rlz=1C1CHWA_enUS613US614&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjwzOLejMDPAhUEVh4KHS4RCWgQ_AUICCgB&biw=1360&bih=662). ^_^ Hope you enjoy!

Vex leaned her umbrella against the corner inside the front door of the apartment and sighed, glad to be out of the storm that had trees blowing every which way and cracks of thunder echoing through the sky every minute or so. She fumbled for the light switch to the foyer and frowned when she flipped it and nothing happened. Vex jiggled the switch twice more, but the short hall stayed resolutely dark.

“If the bulb blew out again and Vax didn’t take the time to fix it…” Vex grumbled, dropping her purse on the floor and striding forward, to the small sitting room.  

“Ouch!” she exclaimed, clutching her hip as a sharp corner impacted with bone. She had misjudged the placement of the hall table.

Another crack of thunder sounded and it was echoed by a piteous whine from somewhere in the apartment.

“Oh, I’m coming, Trinket!” Vex called, picking up her pace, only to catch some dog toy beneath her foot that nearly sent her tumbling to the ground. She shrieked, but caught her balance on the door frame and grimaced at the new bruises she’d have on her forearms.

Vex glared at the offending item, the shadow of a giant rubber bone that had pockets in it for dog treats, and finally gave in, pulling her phone from her jacket pocket and making her way through apps until the flashlight switched on, illuminating a small area in a bright beam. A notification, “10% battery life remaining” showed up, but she ignored it, turning off the display and checking the floor around her for other tripping hazards.

Seeing none, she made her way through the sitting room to the lamp that lit the area at night, pulling the cord to turn it on. Nothing happened, and Vex groaned.

“I hate electricity,” she complained, moving over to the window that led out onto a balcony they never used (mostly because it always smelled like cigarettes). Sure enough, the immediate area of buildings in downtown Emon was a black void, save for the streetlamps that ran on emergency power. In their light Vex could see the torrential rain pouring down and wondered when the power would be back up. She and Vax kept a couple candles around for such eventualities, but she honestly wasn’t sure where they were, nor if they even had any matches.

A jagged bolt of lightning arced across the sky and a mournful howl came from Vex’s room.

“I’m sorry darling, here I come!” Vex called, making her way through the dark apartment by the light from her phone. In entering her room she found Trinket curled up in the corner by her closet, the farthest from the window. His enormous form was scrunched into as small a ball as he could manage, and his nose was tucked underneath his paws.

He looked terrible, the poor thing.

“Oh, Trinket!” Vex exclaimed, rushing forward, setting her phone on the ground beside her. He whined and nuzzled at her lap, the long fur on the back of his neck settling back down from where it had stood on end.

“I’m so sorry we had to leave you alone for a while, buddy,” she cooed, dropping a kiss on his forehead and scratching behind his ears. “But I know Vax took you out for a walk after lunch, so you got some good exercise in, didn’t you?”

Trinket barked in affirmation and panted, licking Vex’s arm when she went to pet him again.

“I missed you too, Trinket,” Vex said, ruffling his fur before she turned so she could get her arms around him in a hug. She had found Trinket as a pup a few years prior when she’d seen him being beaten up by some bullies in a small town they’d stopped at on their way to Emon from Byroden. Vex had scared them away when she managed to punch their leader hard enough to break his nose, and Trinket had been with her and Vax ever since.

Vex cuddled Trinket for a few minutes, reveling in the warmth he exuded in contrast to the cold weather she’d come in from, and whispering gently into his ear when another crack of thunder split the silence.

But after a little while her stomach started rumbling and she realized she still hadn’t had dinner. Trinket was probably hungry, too, as they fed him in the evening.

“C’mon, Trinket,” she said, removing her arms from around him as she pulled away. He barked at her and whined as if to ask ‘why are you leaving?’ and Vex chuckled, scratching his head.

“Do you wanna go get some food?”

The giant dog perked up at the mention of sustenance, and Vex laughed out loud as he jumped to his feet, wagging his big tail hard enough so it hit the wall. He didn’t even flinch at the next round of thunder and Vex counted it a success.

“Okay, let’s just go to the kitchen…”

Her voice trailed off as she saw her phone on the ground, the flashlight off, and she groaned.

Picking it up, Vex saw that, sure enough, the battery had run out because she had neglected to turn off the light. “Fuck,” she said, throwing the phone onto her bed. With the power out it was completely useless, and she _still_ wasn’t sure where the candles were, or if they even had candles.

Trinket nudged his head under her hand and poked his nose into her side, whining.

“No, it’s alright Trinket. Mummy was just stupid.”

Trinket huffed and rubbed his head harder against her hip.

“Thanks, buddy. But let’s see if we can find the candles, shall we?”

It took twenty minutes and a few new bruises from things falling out of the closet onto her head to find the candles, several thick wax cylinders stuck behind a bunch of random junk. When the power came back on she really needed to have Vax take a look through it to clear out his stuff.

Vex brought the candles to the kitchen without hassle and placed them on the table, then went about trying to find some matches, or the lighter. She was pretty sure that the matches had been borrowed by Scanlan for some ridiculous reason or another, but the lighter was always kept in the drawer right next to the fridge…

“Yes!”

She held up the lighter triumphantly and hurried back over to the candles, holding the button down and pulling the trigger, only for it to spark without a flame. Delight dying down, Vex tried again and again without success, and she cursed, throwing it aside, the fluid within quite obviously depleted.

Trinket whined again, and Vex sighed. “I’m sorry darling, but I need to find some way to see what I’m doing. Sit tight while I ask around, and I’ll be back as soon as I can…

The dog let out a pitiful moan.

“I’m sorry, Trinket, but I need to be able to _see._ ”

He just ‘humph’ed and flopped down on the tile, his weight shaking the whole floor.

“I’ll be back soon, darling.”

He barked once, and Vex just shook her head, carefully making her way to the door. She deftly avoided her purse where it laid on the floor, and opened the front door, making sure to slide the deadbolt out so she wouldn’t be locked out without her keys. That was the last thing she needed.

Stepping into the hallway, Vex wondered how she hadn’t noticed the halls were filled with emergency lighting and not the usual bright fluorescents when she’d returned that evening. Still, regardless, she had to find someone to ask for help.

A couple of the apartments on their floor were empty, more of them filled with strangers, but Vex knew the occupants of 2A, 2C, and 2E.

Of course, 2C was out of the picture – Viktor, the older man who lived there, was certifiably insane. He weirded her out on the best of days and he was more likely to give her a bomb than a lighter, from the stories she’d heard. 2A was also not an option presently, as Shaun Gilmore owned a curio-coffee shop called “Gilmore’s Glorious Grounds”, and it catered largely to young adults, meaning he was often working until one, even two in the morning on the nights he closed up shop.

And that left 2E, the white-haired man Vex’ahlia had seen come and go every so often. She knew his name was Percival, and that he was always rushing around one place or another, but at least he was closer to her age and would almost certainly be home. (Vex was quite sure he didn’t have a job – she had never seen him at the same time of day, and he always seemed to be working on some project or another, rhythmic thuds echoing through the wall that 2E and 2D, Vex and Vax’s own apartment, shared.)

Vex had never had a proper conversation with the young man before, but there was no time like the present. She walked the short distance down the hall and knocked sharply three times.

“Coming!” came the muffled response after a brief pause, followed by the sound of metal against metal, then footsteps approaching the door.

It opened onto the pale face of Percival, his iconic two-lensed spectacles on his nose, as formally dressed as she had ever seen him.

“Do you ever take that coat off?” she asked without thinking.

He quirked his head to one side, raising an eyebrow. “Excuse me? Ah, you’re… Vex’ahlia, am I correct?”

“Oh, so sorry,” Vex said, feeling a blush rise to her cheeks as she looked at the ground. “Yes, that’s me. My brother and I live next door, and, uh, that’s not what I meant to ask – um, the power went off in my apartment-“

“The whole building,” Percival interrupted with a nod.

“Well, yes, the whole building, and I wondered if you might have something that I could light some candles with, for, well, for light.”

“You don’t have flashlights, lanterns?” he asked, frowning. Vex fidgeted under his intense gaze.

“Well, I usually use my phone if I need one for anything quick, but my phone’s out of battery as well,” she explained, sheepishly. “And,” she pointed up at the ceiling, forcing out a chuckle, “with the power outage, that’s not going to be charging any time soon.”

“Hmmm,” Percival said with a nod, though his eyes seemed to be fixated on something behind her. She spun around to look, but there was nothing except for the door to another apartment. Turning back, his gaze was still focused elsewhere and she waved her fingers in front of his eyes.

“Hello? Is there something more interesting than me?”

He started and flushed, the pink creeping up his neck and across his face even to his ears.

Vex couldn’t help but grin at his reaction, though she hid it when he looked her in the eyes again.

“Sorry, your hair was just-“

Vex instinctively raised her hand to her hair, trying to flatten it. With her luck, the humidity from the rain had probably frizzed it up a ridiculous amount, though she couldn’t be sure.

“What about my hair?”

“Uh, well,” Percival looked even more flustered, the cute pink blush darkening to a magenta. “Nothing, it’s nothing. You look- I mean, _it_ looks lovely.”

Vex, who had opened her mouth to respond, was suddenly struck dumb. _Lovely?_ That’s not the word she would have chosen.

“Anyway,” Percival continued, stepping back a bit into his apartment, “Uh, I do have something you could use for light – just come in, though, since it might take me a little while to find another…”

And he ducked back inside, leaving the door open for Vex to walk through. She pursed her lips, furrowed her eyebrows, and tried to think of a response for all of five seconds before she gave up and followed him through the door to his apartment, pushing it closed behind her.

The interior of the apartment was oddly bright considering the fact that the power was out. Percy’s kitchen was lit with a warm light, and as Vex followed him into the apartment she saw the reason for the illumination – several ornate, oil-filled lamps with tall glass bulbs that sheltered one bright orange flame each.

They appeared to be made of finely carved glass, their bases wide so they sat comfortably without wobbling.

“They’re beautiful!” Vex exclaimed, moving closer to one of them, her fingers outstretched.

Warm fingers curled around her own, holding her back.

“You really shouldn’t touch those,” Percival said, his eyes meeting hers, his fingers hastily letting go as he took a step back. “They’re quite hot, and I don’t want you upsetting my work.”

Puzzled, Vex looked down at the table the lamps were sitting on and saw a ridiculous number of papers and notebooks spread across the table, more black than white with the amount of writing on each page. Over top of the papers were gears and screws, unidentifiable pieces of metal and tools of all shapes and sizes.

“What’s all of this for?” she asked in awe, leaning forward to look at some of the notes around a picture of what appeared to be a handgun. But she only managed to catch the word “Retort”, written in surprisingly fine script (Vex had expected chicken scratches), before Percival pulled it away from her.

“I tinker,” he said shortly, then winced at his own response, adjusting his glasses as he cleared his throat. “Well, I’m a bit of an inventor, really. It’s just what I do.”

“Hmm,” Vex accepted, nodding. She wondered what other strange secrets Percival hid, and resolved to behave herself.

There was a brief moment of awkward silence before Percival coughed and set the notebook back on the table, closing it as he did so, only the brown leather cover visible.

“Anyway,” he said, gesturing with a hand to one side. “I think I have another oil lamp around here somewhere – my parents had over a dozen when I was younger, and we have a few more around here somewhere…”

He trailed off, lighting a candle with a match that had seemingly out of nowhere. Moving easily, he wound his way through piles of books and metal devices, obviously the result of his tinkering. Vex was careful to keep close behind him, only just able to make out the clutter on the floor and the clear path Percival was following.

“Percival-“ she began, cut off when he stopped short, nearly tripping her up.

“Please, call me Percy.”

She raised an eyebrow, but nodded, not that he could see from his vantage.

“If that’s what you’d prefer, Percy…”

The name was unfamiliar on her tongue – she had called him Percival in her head since meeting him in the hall that first time – but it was oddly fitting. A bit quirky, not altogether as regal or handsome as she had pictured him in her head.

“I would, yes.”

He still hadn’t moved.

“Then I must insist you call me Vex, Percy darling,” she said with a smirk, the diminutive slipping from her lips before she could think about it.

“Vex,” Percy repeated, his voice oddly choked.

“Precisely,” she said, the grin only growing on his face. “Anyway, I was just wondering how you fill this whole space yourself – surely one person can’t take up a whole two-bedroom apartment on their own.”

Percy cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders, dusting off the side of his coast with one hand. “Well, I do share it with my sister, when she’s here, but right now she’s off at university. She comes home during breaks, but she’d relatively quiet, and she never stays long.”

“Mhmmm,” Vex said, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle that were Percy together in her mind.

They went through the rest of the living room to the largest bedroom, obviously Percy’s own. It was sparsely decorated, but there was an ornate sword, very realistic, hung proudly on the wall.

“That’s a lovely replica,” Vex noted.

“Oh, that? It’s real,” Percy said, glancing over at it.

Vex had not been expecting that answer.

“Do you know how to use it?”

Percy, who had put the candlestick on the ground and knelt to look in the closet, turned to give her a scandalized look.

“Who would have a real sword and not know how to use it?” he asked, affronted.

“I don’t know,” Vex said, raising her hands. “I hardly know anything about swords. Of course, if you wanted to know something about archery, I could give you an hour long lecture on that.”

She glanced down at Percy and saw his startled face looking up at her.

“What?”

“You know how to shoot?”

“That’s what I just said, isn’t it?”

“I’ve never met anyone trained in archery,” he admitted with a shrug. “I think it’s fascinating, though. The craftsmanship of fine bows, the skill and strength it requires to shoot accurately…”

He trailed off, blushing, and Vex couldn’t hold back the chuckle that escaped her lips.

“Perhaps I could give you lessons sometime,” she murmured, dropping her voice into a lower register.

“I can’t say I wouldn’t enjoy that,” he replied, swallowing noticeably in the dim light. “But for now we should probably find that lamp. I heard your dog barking earlier – sounded like he was hungry.”

Vex felt a stab of guilt remembering Trinket all alone in her apartment, and frowned. “He is, poor dear. I thought Vax, my brother, might have fed him before we left, but it doesn’t seem so.”

“Vax and Vex?” Percy asked, crawling into the closet once more. “Those are remarkably similar.”

“Vax’ildan and Vex’ahlia,” Vex confirmed. “Our parents were masochists.”

She tried to keep her voice light, but couldn’t keep her expression composed quite as well. She was glad Percy couldn’t see her from where he was.

“Seems like it,” Percy said, grunting slightly as he struggled with something in the closet.

“Would it be easier to just bring your matches over to my place? You could light my candles over there,” Vex offered, but Percy immediately shot down the idea.

“No, no, I’ve got this. It’s just a little heavy – give me a second-“

It took about thirty more seconds for Percy to struggle the large box out of the bottom of his closet. It was long, at least four feet, and three feet wide or so. Vex wondered if Percy’s closet was miraculously large on the interior, as her own certainly wouldn’t have enough space for such a box.

“There we are,” Percy said, his voice slightly breathless as he adjusted his spectacles. “The rest of the lamps, ready for oil. The power doesn’t go out often, and I really only use the two, so the rest are buried under a surplus of seldom-used paraphernalia in my closet.”

“How many of these do you have?”

“Just eight,” he said with a shrug. “We used to have more, but children will be children, and my siblings and I broke most of them over time. They were used whenever the power was out, or in the library when we didn’t feel like turning on all the lights.”

He said it so casually, even as he was lifting a lamp out of the Styrofoam packaging, that Vex almost missed it. But, a library? His family’s own library? How rich _was_ Percy?

“Here, hold this,” Percy said, passing her the base, which she took carefully, surprised by the weight of it. He went back into the box to extract a rolled up bundle of cloth, which he revealed to be the top portion of the lamp, the part that guarded the flame. He walked forward with it, and gestured for her to lower the base she was holding. He slid the glass into its place and explained to Vex how to fasten the screws on either side, warning her not to tighten them too much, lest she risk scratching or cracking the glass. He demonstrated, with such care that it was clear there was sentimental value in the action.

Vex found her lips curling up into a fond smile, a warmth stirring in her chest at the care he showed. She had a sudden desire to see him working on the inventions he obviously dedicated so much time to. If he showed so much care for a family lamp, how much would he show toward his own inventions?

“Vex?”

She started, and realized she’d been staring, but now Percy was looking at her confused.

“Are you alright?” he asked, head quirked to one side. “You spaced out for a moment there.”

"Oh, I'm fine," Vex said, adjusting the lamp in her arms so she could brush some hair out of her face. "Just a little tired. It's been a long day."

Percy hummed in assent. "Should we go get you some lamp oil and then you can be on your way?"

Vex wanted to stay longer, to linger and chat about Percy's inventions, wheedle him for information and puzzle out more of his mysteries, but there was a layered crack of thunder from outside and the muted sound of Trinket's barks from her own apartment.

"That would be nice," she said instead, backing up so he could lead her out the door. "I'm sure Trinket is very hungry."

He nodded and, taking his candle, led her out of the bedroom and back into the kitchen.

"The oil's right here," he said, retrieving it from the corner by the fridge. "If you take off the top, I'll fill you up- uh, fill _it_ up the proper amount."

He coughed, a pink tinge once again rushing to his cheeks, and Vex chuckled, placing the lamp on a relatively clear section of the table and twisting the top off.

In silence Percy filled the lamp and Vex twisted the top back on. There was a brief pause, long enough for a breath, then Vex cleared her throat and Percy coughed again, and another crack of thunder echoed through the sky.

“I guess I’ll see you around?” Vex asked, picking up the lamp carefully, trying not to spill the oil.

Percy nodded. “I suppose. We do live next door to each other, after all.”

“We do,” Vex agreed, starting toward the door. Percy hurried forward and opened it for her, revealing the plain hall with the emergency lights shining. “Goodbye, Percy. And thank you.”

“Goodbye, Vex,” Percy said, a smile quirking his lips, and Vex couldn’t help smiling back.

She headed out as he closed the door, carefully bringing the lamp to her own apartment. Leaning against the door it slid open and Trinket woofed at her, jumping to his feet and trotting over.

“Back, Trinket,” she said, sidestepping the large dog and heading to the kitchen table. He whined and sniffed at the strange device she’d brought in. Trinket tipped his head to one side, then the other, as if trying to figure out why she’d brought such a strange object home with her.

“It’s a lamp,” she explained, releasing the screws around the glass enough to pull the cover off, just as Percy had showed her. “I just light the wick, and…”

She trailed off with a groan, burying her face into one palm, and Trinket whined again.

“I’ll be right back, Trinket, I just need-“

Vex was cut off by a knock on the door, three sharp taps, that was quickly followed by a familiar voice.

“Um, Vex, I couldn’t help but notice that while you now have an oil lamp I failed to provide you with matches…”

Percy’s voice trailed off as Vex arrived at the door. She pulled it open, revealing Percy, his eyes to the ground, yet another blush rising on his cheeks.

“Yeah, I might need a couple of those,” Vex said, struggling not to blush herself. She, after all, had been the one to leave with the lamp and completely forget about the matches, the original reason she’d gone to see him in the first place.

Percy held out a paper matchbook that read “Iron Hearth Tavern” in large letters, and Vex took it with a quiet “Thank you.”

They both stood in silence for a moment, alike in the stillness, the rumble of thunder distant once again, not even loud enough to bother Trinket.

“Well, goodbye again, I suppose,” Percy said, adjusting his glasses. “I’m terribly sorry for forgetting the matches. They are a rather essential part of a fire, aren’t they?”

“Just a bit,” Vex said. “Goodbye to you as well. And good luck with your inventions.”

Percy looked startled, as if the sentiment had been the last thing he was expecting to hear.

“Uh, thank you… I suppose,” he said slowly. “Ah… Would you like to go out for coffee sometime? Or just come over, whatever’s good with you.”

It was Vex’s turn to be surprised, and she must have stared at him for a good few seconds before she replied, because he started shifting uncomfortably.

“Are you-“ she coughed, and leaned an arm against the doorframe, her heart beating faster, her lips dry. She licked them before continuing. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

If Vex had thought Percy went red when making an unintentional innuendo, it was nothing to the interesting color he was turning after _that_ question was dropped on his head.

“Well, I didn’t mean as much- You seemed interested, genuinely, and I thought you might like to hear a bit about them, what they can do, if you really are interested, that is, I mean, it doesn’t have to be a date-“

“That sounds lovely, Percy,” Vex said, interrupting his rambling. “Whether we call it a date or not.”

In truth, Vex felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest with happiness, but she kept her face stoically pleasant, and it seemed to be enough.

“Oh, excellent,” Percy said, releasing an audible breath from his lungs. “How does this weekend sound? Saturday afternoon?”

“I work then, but we could meet up for lunch,” Vex suggested, trying to repress a giddy smile. “I know a nice little deli we could go to that has excellent desserts.”

“Sounds perfect,” Percy agreed, his face slowly losing its pink tinge. “I’ll, uh, make a note of it. But could I have your number so we can discuss plans?

Vex nodded, and gave it to him to put in his phone. They quickly said goodbyes for the third time that evening, then Percy left and Vex was, once again, alone with Trinket. She lit the lamp, secured the glass cover, fed Trinket, and scrounged up some food that didn’t need to be heated up, all the while unable to stop smiling. She’d have to get a hold of herself before Vax came back, or else she’d be treated to an interrogation, but Vex let herself bask for a moment in the still-fresh memories of gold-rimmed glasses, shocking white hair, and crystalline blue eyes.

She was looking forward to their maybe-date. And not just because of the chance to hear about Percy’s inventions.

**Author's Note:**

> For what the de Rolo family lamps look like, [here's](https://youtu.be/bnNnJtYgYGg?t=4s) a reference.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! *less than three* Let me know what you thought!
> 
> To see my ideas/theories, ramblings, and so much more, check out my tumblr: [dancerwrites](http://www.dancerwrites.tumblr.com)


End file.
